3 Kinds of People You Must Never Employ

It is commonly said that humans are the greatest assets to any organization – be it a company or a country. But I think the statement is grossly incomplete. My rendition would be: The Right Humans Are the Greatest Assets! How do I mean? A successful organization is not built by people; it is built by the right people. Now, I may not know everything about the right people (though I know a lot!), but I sure know at least three (3) kinds of people you must never employ:

a. The Desperate

He wants a job at any cost, whatever it takes, even if it means falsifying qualifications, or being involved in some immoral or unethical acts. This may be because he feels oppressed by people or he wants to oppress people himself, he does not want to stay at home, he has an urgent and pressing need, or his bills are accumulating and he just needs a quick way out.

The challenge with ‘Mr. Desperate’ is that once the threat to his ego (or survival) has been removed, you will also lose his commitment to your organization. He did not come to meet your needs; he came to meet his needs. One issue you are surely to have with him is in aligning with your organizational values. If he got the job through crooked means, he will remain on the job through crooked means.

b. The Directionless

She does not know exactly what she wants out of life. She applied to your organization probably because someone just hinted her that there is a vacancy somewhere. All she knows is that people apply for jobs anytime they are out of school, so applying for a job is a just another normal thing for her – like going to school. She does not have a clearly defined path or destination for herself. She just flows with the wind.

The challenge with “Miss Directionless” is that she can never take initiatives for the organization. She is confused and that seems to be the only value or virtue she can bring to the table. Once her appetite rises beyond what your company can meet, you can be sure she will join another bus going nowhere.

c. The Explorer

He is not really interested in working, or at least not for long. He has his own plans but probably does not know exactly how to go about it. And since your organization is looking like it, he wants to jump on the bus and catch a quick glimpse at what’s going on inside. He may also want to join you because he wants to raise some quick funds to execute some projects or probably start his own business.

The challenge with ‘Mr. Explorer’ is that he is never with you. He will be doing more of eye-service and always complaining about your organization both to insiders and outsiders. Like the desperate, he is also selfish in his dealings; he will work so long as the task tallies with his purpose for joining your organization. He is quick to raise rebels because he talks like one who knows what he is doing or where he is going. If not well managed, he can instigate your workforce against you.

For more information on the different kinds of employees, and to conduct an Employee Category Test on your workforce, or to know how this knowledge can improve your productivity, please call the hotline +234-806-498-0357 or send an email to soarafrica@gmail.com.